Team

The Hera science team is based on working groups per mission topic, which is different from the model adopted for large ESA planetary missions, where the Project Scientist is supported by Science Working Teams consisting mostly of instrument Principal Investigators (PIs).   

Through this structure, the Mission PI is the primary interface to ESA and advises the ESA Hera Project Scientist and the Hera Mission Manager. The Mission PI is invited to the ESA subordinate bodies of the ESA Council, as required and according to the respective rules and regulations governing such meetings. 

Team Leaders

Hera Science Team

The Hera Science Team includes the ESA Project Scientist and the mission PI, who, together with the Advisory Board, compose the Science Management Board (SMB). It also includes the Investigation Team, which is composed of the Mission PI, the Advisory Board, the Working Group Chairs and some instrument representatives. There are also instrument PIs who are responsible for decisions about delivery and safe operation of their instrument, and an Science Operation Working Group with a Chair appointed by ESA for the operational aspects of the mission. And finally, It includes all Hera Working Group members.

SCIENCE MANAGEMENT BOARD

HERA INVESTIGATION TEAM

Mission PI

Dr. Patrick Michel Univ. Côte d’Azur | Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab. Nice, France

Management Board Members

Pr. Alan Fitzsimmons Queen's University of Belfast, United Kingdom

Pr. Simon F. Green The Open University, United Kingdom

Pr. Monica Lazzarin Padova University, Italy

Dr. Stephan Ulamec DLR, Germany

Dr. Paul Abell NASA, USA

Pr. Seiji Sugita University of Tokyo, Japan

Working group chairs & instrument PI

Pr. Adriano Campo Bagatin Univ. Alicante, Spain

Dr. Benoît Carry Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab, France

Pr. Sébastien Charnoz IPGP, France

Dr. Julia de Leon lnstituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Spain

Dr. Fabio Ferrari Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Pr. Paulo Gordo Univ. Lisbon, Portugal

Dr. Alain Hérique lPAG, France

Dr. Martin Jutzi University of Bern, Switzerland

Dr. Ozgur Karatekin ROB, Belgium

Dr. Tomas Kohout Univ. Helsinki, Finland

Dr. Naomi Murdoch lSAE-Supaero, France

Pr. Tatsuaki Okada ISAS/JAXA, Japan

Dr. Petr Pravec Ondrejov Observatory, Czech Republic

Dr. Sabina Raducan University of Bern, Switzerland

Dr. Colin Snodgrass University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Pr. Paolo Tortora Univ. Bologna, ltaly

Pr. Kleomenis Tsiganis University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Dr. Jean-Baptiste Vincent DLR, Germany

Dr. Kai Wünnemann Berlin Museum für Naturkunde, Germany

Hera International Team Members

Dr. Olivier S. Barnouin APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Nancy Chabot APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Andy Cheng APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Carolyn Ernst APL/JHU, USA

Pr. Derek C. Richardson Univ. Maryland, USA

Dr. Andy Rivkin APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Angela Stickle APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Cristina Thomas Northern Arizona University, USA

Dr. Elisabetta Dotto INAF, Italy

Pr. Masahiko Arakawa Univ. Kobe, Japan

Pr. Hirdy Miyamoto Univ. Tokyo, Japan

Pr. Akiko Nakamura Univ. Kobe, Japan

Pr. Seiji Sugita Univ. Tokyo, Japan

Pr. Makoto Yoshikawa ISAS/JAXA, Japan

Dr. Paul Abell NASA, USA

Pr. Erik Asphaug Univ. Arizona, USA

Dr. Ronald-Louis Ballouz Univ. Arizona, USA

Dr. William F. Bottke Jr. SWRI, USA

Pr. Dante S. Lauretta Univ. Arizona, USA

Dr. Kevin J. Walsh SWRI, USA

HONORARY MISSION ADVISOR

Dr. Brian May (Queen guitarist and astrophysicist) is Hera Honorary Mission Advisor. In addition to supporting and highly contributing to mission related public outreach activities and videos presenting the mission, he is also offering a great contribution to the science activities and preparation of the mission. In particular, he is performing stereoscopic image pairs and movies of the numerical modeling of Didymos’ evolution developed by Hera team members, allowing us to visualize and therefore to better understand the predicted behavior and properties of the asteroid in three dimensions. He is also providing advice for the imaging strategy of the binary system by Hera, so that stereoscopic pairs can be produced from images taken at different and well chosen phases, allowing a vision of the real asteroid in 3D. Such a vision does not only allow us to appreciate the beauty of these small worlds, but also to discover and study their incredible geological complexity. Stereoscopic pairs by Dr. May and his collaborator Claudia Manzoni have demonstrated their extraordinary power and usefulness in past missions, such as OSIRIS-REx (NASA) and Hayabusa2 (JAXA). 

Dr. May is already co-author of a two peer-reviewed articles by Hera team members, which were reported in several medias and ESA press releases:

_ Michel, P., Ballouz, R.-L., Barnouin, O.S., Jutzi, M., Walsh, K.J., May, B.H., Manzoni, C., Richardson, D.C., Schwartz, S.R., Sugita, S., Watanabe, S., Miyamoto, H., Hirabayashi, M., Bottke, W.F., Connolly Jr., H.C., Yoshikawa, M., Lauretta, D.S. 2020. Collisional formation of top-shaped asteroids and implications for the origins of Ryugu and Bennu. Nature Communications 11, 2665, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16433-z

ESA Press Release (click here) 

_ Zhang, Y., Michel, P., Richardson, D.C., Barnouin, O.S., Agrusa, H.F., Tsiganis, K., Manzoni, C., May, B.H. 2021. Creep stability of the DART/Hera mission target 65803 Didymos: II. The role of cohesion. Icarus 362, 114433, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114433

ESA Press Release (click here)

Working Groups

Group 1 - Impact Modeling

Group 2 - Ground Based Observations

Group 3 - Dynamics

Group 4 - Data analysis, exploitation, interpretation

IMPACT MODELING

Chairs

Jutzi Martin Univ. Bern, Switzerland

Wünnemann Kai Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin / FU Berlin, Germany

Raducan Sabina Univ. Bern, Switzerland

CORE MEMBERS

Arakawa Masahiko Kobe University, Japan

Burger Christoph Univ. Tübigen, Germany

Collins Gareth Imperial College London, UK

Davison Thomas Imperial College London, UK

Gueldemeister Nicole Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany

Luther Robert Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany

Martellato Elena Uni Parthenope, Rome, Italy

Michel Patrick Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, France

Ormoe Jens CAB INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Schäfer Christoph Univ. Tübingen, Germany

Zhang Yun Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France

Extended Members

Baziotis Ioannis Agricultural University of Athens, Greece

Berk Cem ROB, Belgium

Bjonnes Evan LLNL, USA

Boustie Michel CNRS/Simchoc, France

Boyer Severine Paris Tech, France

Burchell Mark Univ. Kent, UK

Cheng Andy JHU/APL, USA

Chocron Sidney SWRI, USA

Cintala Mark NASA, USA

Cline Christopher NASA, USA

Deller Jakob Max Planck Inst. For Solar System Research, Germany

Dehsapriya Prasanna INAF, Italy

Durda Dan SWRI, USA

Farnham Tony JHU/APL

Ferri Francesca Univ. Padova, Italy

Graninger Dawn JHU/APL, USA

Gucsik Arnold University of Debrecen, Hungaria

Gulde Max EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Hebert David CEA, France

Herreros Isabel CAB INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Ivanovski Stavro INAF - Astronomical observatory of Padova, Italy

Jodar Benjamin CEA, France

Kenkmann Thomas Univ. Freiburg, Switzerland

Koschny Detlef Univ. Münich, Germany

Kumamoto Katie LLNL, USA

Kurosawa Kosuke Univ. Kobe, Japan

Lavagna Michelle Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Lolachi Ramin Univ. Maryland, USA

Lucchetti Alice Astronomical Obs. Padova, Italy

Maindl Thomas Univ. Vienna, Austria

Malmud Uri University Tel Aviv, Israël

Marchi Simone SWRI, USA

Murdoch Naomi SUPAERO, Univ. de Toulouse, France

Nakamura Akiko Kobe University, Japan

Neumann Wladimir DLR Institute for Planetary Research Berlin, Germany

Owen Mike LLNL, USA

Parisi M. Gabriela FCAGLP & CONICET, Argentina

Pösgesn Gisela Geopark Ries e. V., Germany

Price Mark Univ. Kent, UK

Ramesh KT JHU, USA

Sanchez Paul Univ. Colorada, USA

Sauer Martin EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Schäfer Frank EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Stickle Angela JHU/APL, USA

Sugita Seiji Univ. Tokyo, Japan

Sunshine Jessica Univ. Maryland, USA

Syal Megan LLNL, USA

Tancredi Gonzalo Univ. Montevideo, Uruguay

Tsiganis Menios Aristotle Univ. Thessalonica Greece

Veras Dimitri U Warwick, Poland

Vincent Jean-Baptiste DLR Institute for Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

Walker James SWRI, USA

Zhu Menghua

GROUND BASED OBSERVATIONS

Chairs

Pravec Petr Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Czech Republic

Carry Benoît Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab., France

de Leon Julia Inst. Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain

Snodgrass Colin Univ. Edinburgh, UK

Core Team 

Berthier Jérôme Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Birlan Mirel Observatoire de Meudon, France

Fitzsimmons Alan Queens Univ. Belfast, UK

Frattin Elisa Astronomical Obs. Padova, Italy

Green Simon Open University, UK

Kokotanekova Rosita ESO, Chile

LaForgia Fiorangela Univ. Padova, Italy

Lazzarin Monica Univ. Padova, Italy

Migliorini Alessandra IAPS/INAF, Italy

Popescu Marcel IAC, Spain

Ros Toni Santana i Universidad de Alicante, Spain

Scheirich Petr Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Czech Republic

Souami Damya Obs. Paris Meudon, France

Extended Team

Balossi Roberto UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Bertini Ivano Univ. Padova, Italy

Campo-Bagatín Adriano Univ. Alicante, Spain

Colombo Camilla Politecnico Milano, Italy

Desmars Josselin Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Gedek Marcin 6 Roads, Poland

Hestroffer Daniel Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Ieva Simone INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma

Kiersz Dominik Queens Univ. Belfast, UK

Kohout Tomas Univ. Helsinki, Finland

Licandro Javier IAC, Spain

Lowry Stephen Univ. Kent, UK

Minker Kate UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Moreno Fernando Inst. Astrofísica Andalucia, Spain

Näsilä Antti VTT, Finland

Palomba Ernesto IAPS INAF, Italy

Penttilä Antti Univ. Helsinki, Finland

Rambaux Nicolas Paris Observartory, France

Robinson Jamie Queens Univ. Belfast, UK

Rossi Alessandro Instituto di Fisica Applicata Nello Carrara, Italy

Tanga Paolo Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab., France

Thomas Cristina Planetary Science Institute, USA

Thuillot William Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Tsiganis Menios Univ. Thessaloniki, Greece

Tubiana Cecilia MPS, Germany

Vincent Jean-Baptiste DLR Institute for Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

Voyatzis George Univ. Thessaloniki, Greece

Michal Zolnowski 6 Roads, Poland

DYNAMICS

Chairs

Campo-Bagatin Adriano U Alicante, Spain

Tsiganis Kleomenis AUTh, Greece

Charnoz Sébastien IPGP, France

Core Members

Agrusa Harrison Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab., France

Benavidez Paula U Alicante (Spain)

Ferrari Fabio PoliMi (Italy) - JPL

Gkolias Ioannis AUTh (Greece)

Gil-Fernandez Jesus ESA

Karatekin Ozgur ROB (Belgium)

Marzari Francesco U Padova (Italy)

Pou Laurent UC Santa-Cruz (USA)

Rambaux Nicolas IMCCE (France)

Richardson Derek UMD (USA)

Rossi Alessandro IFAC-INAF (Italy)

Soldini Stefania U Liverpool (UK)

Voyatzis George AUTh (Greece)

Yu Yang U Beihang (CN)

Zannoni Marco UBologna (Italy)

Zhang Yun U Michigan (USA)

Extended Members

Amarante Andre UNESP, Brazil

Andert Tom Univ. der Bundeswehr, Germany

Azema Emilien Univ. Montpellier, France

Balossi Roberto UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Banaszkiewicz Marek Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Baresi Nicolas Univ. Surrey, UK

Biele Jens DLR, Germany

Chatenet Camille UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Cheng Andy JHU/APL, USA

Chesley Steve JPL, USA

Colombo Camilla PoliMi, Italy

Cueva Rachel Univ. Colorado, USA

DeMartini Joe Univ. Maryland, USA

Drube Line DTU, Danemark

Efthymiopoulos Christos U Padova (Italy)

Eggl Siegfried Univ. Illinois, USA

Fahnestock Gene JPL, USA

Farnham Tony Univ. Maryland, USA

Feng Jianglang Univ. of Strathclyde, UK

Filice Valerio OMA, Belgium

Fodde Iosto Univ. of Strathclyde, UK

Fu Xiaoyu Univ. Liverpool, UK

Gabryszewski Ryszard Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Gonzalez Graciela Univ. der Bundeswehr, Germany

Graninger Dawn JHU/APL, USA

Grieger Bjoern ESA, ESAC, Spain

Hestroffer Daniel IMCCE, France

Ivanoski Stavro INAF, Italy

Jacobson Seth Michigan State Univ., USA

Karthick Chrisphin Indian Inst. of Astrophysics, India

Kohout Tomas Univ. Helsinki, Finland

Krolikowska Malgorzata Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Krzysztof Langner

Lasagni Riccardo Univ. Bologna, Italy

Lavagna Michelle PoliMi, Italy

Li Jianyang

Liu Po-Yen Univ. Alicante, Spain

Lolachi Ramin Univ. Maryland, NASA Goddard, USA

Madeira Gustavo IPGP, Paris

Makadia Rahil Univ. Illinois, USA

de Marco Greta ESA/ESOC, Germany

McMahon Jay Univ. Colorado, USA

Merrill Colby Univ. Cornell, USA

Moreno Fernando Inst. Astrofísica de Andalucia, Spain

Murdoch Naomi ISAE/Supaéro, France

Naidu Shantanu JPL, USA

Nastula Jolanta Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Pajola Maurizio INAF, Italy

Paro Laura Univ. Alicante, Spain

Perez Molina Manuel Univ. Alicante, Spain

Pravec Petr Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

Renouf Mathieu Univ. Montpellier, France

Roth Nataniel NASA, USA

Sanchez Paul Univ. Colorado, USA

Sauer Martin EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Sert Hakan OMA, Belgium

Scheirich Petr Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

Souami Damya Obs. Paris, France

Szutowicz Slawomira Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Tancredi Gonzalo Univ. Uruguay, Uruguay

Tanga Paolo UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Tasev Elisa ROB, Belgium

Topputo Francesco PoliMi, Italy

Tortora Paolo U Bologna, Italy

Vasile Massimiliano Univ. of Strathclyde, UK

Veras Dimitri Warwick University, Poland

Villegas-Pinto Daniel IMCCE, France

Vincent Jean-Baptiste DLR, Germany

Wajer Pawel Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Wawrzaszek Roman Center for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Wimarsson John Univ. Bern, Switzerland

Zhou Wenhan Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Lagrange, Nice

Ziegler Tobias Airbus Defense&Space, Germany

DATA ANALYSIS, EXPLOITATION, INTERPRETATION

Chairs

Herique Alain

Karatekin Ozgur

Murdoch Naomi

Tortora Paolo

Vincent Jean-Baptiste

Core Members

Barnouin Olivier

Bertini Ivano

de Leon Julia

Le Maistre Sébastien

Lucchetti Alice

Okada Tatsuaki

Pajola Maurizio

Palomba Ernesto

Park Ryan S.

Popescu Marcel

Preusker Frank

Tommei Giacomo

Zannoni Marco

Extended Members

Abell Paul

Agnan Marco

Agrusa Harrison

Agostinho Rui

Al Mazmi Hoor

Al Saeed Noora

Angrisani Marianna

Andert Tom

Arredondo-guerrero Anicia

Avdellidou Chrysa

Baresi Nicola

Baziotis Ioannis

Beccarelli Joel

Bertini Ivano

Biele Jens

Blommaert Joris

Brucato John Robert

Caballo-Perucha Piluca

Caldiero Alfonso

Cambioni Saviero

Campo Bagatin Adriano

Çelik O. (Onur)

Cheng Andy

Chabot Nancy

Ciarletti Valérie

Cremasco Alessia

Cruz Eduardo

Daglis Ioannis

Daly Terik

Damme Friedriech

Dehant Véronique

Deller Jakob

Delsanti Audrey

DeMartini Joe

Deshapryia Prasanna

Dirri Fabrizio

Dotto Elisabetta

Drilleau Mélanie

Drub Line

Duchene Alexia

Eggl Siegfried

El Maarry Mohamed

Eyraud Christelle

Fanara Lida

Farnham Tony

Fernandez Mario

Ferpa Mario

Ferrari Fabio

Fodde Iosto

Gábor Kovács

Garcia Raphael

Gassot Oriane

di Girolamo Gianpiero

Gisellu Chiara

Gloesener Elodie

Goderis Steven

Goldberg Hannah

Gordo Paulo

Gramigna Edoardo

Green Simon

Grieger Björn

Grott Matthias

Groussin Olivier

Guettler Carsten

Hamm Maximilian

Hasselmann Pedro

Henry Grégoire

Hermsdorf Maximilian

Hestroffer Daniel

Ieva Simone

Irizos Javier

Jackson Samuel

Josset Jean-Luc

Kanamaru Masanori

Karthick Chrisphin

Kašpárek Tomáš

Kereszturi Akos

Kofman Wlodek

Kohout Tomas

Kramer Ruggiu Lisa

Krohn Katrin

La Forgia Fiorangela

Lasagni Riccardo

Lavagna Michelle

Lazzarin Monica

Le Bras Etienne

Li Jian-Yang

Licandro Javier

Lin Zhong-Yi

Longobardo Andrea

Marchi Simone

Massa Giuseppe

Matonti Christophe

McMahon Jay

Migliorini Alessandra

Mochi Maddalena

Mueller Thomas

Nasila Antti

Nathues Andreas

Noeker Matthias

Oberst Jürgen

Otto Katharina

Paar Gerhard

Palamakumbure Iakishka

Paoli Roberto

Parro Laura M.

Parisi Gabriele

Penasa Luca

Panicucci Paolo

Penttilä Antti

Plettemeier Dirk

Poggiali Giovanni

Popescu Marcel

Pou Laurent

Preusker Frank

Ritter Birgit

Rizos Juan Luis

Rogez Yves

Rozitis Ben

Sanchez Paul

Scheeres Dan

Schwartz Stephen

Segret Boris

Sierks Olger

Stark Alexander

Stephan Katrin

Sugita Seiji

Sunday Cecily

Sunshine Jessica

Sykioti Olga

Tasev Elisa

Titus Timothy

Topputo Francesco

Traxler Christoph

Trigo-Rodríguez Josep M.

Tubiana Cecilia

Tusberti Filippo

Ulamec Stephan

Van Waal Stefan

Vasconcelos Ivan

Vince Nagy Balázs

Wahlund Jan-Erik

Walsh Kevin

Wolfmayr Monika

Yumoto Koki

Zine Sonia

Zou Xiao-Duan

Chairs

Küppers Michael ESA/ESAC, Spain

Mission PI, Science Management Board, Working Group 4 Chairs and members, Instrument PIs

AFC

Jean-Baptiste Vincent DLR, Germany

TIRI

Tatsu Okada JAXA, Spain

HyperScout

Julia de Leon IAC, Spain

PALT

Paulo Gordo FCUL, Portugal

JuRa

Alain Hérique IPAG, France

GRASS

Ozgur Karatekin ROB, Belgium

ASPECT

Tomas Kohout Univ. Helsinki, Finland

VISTA

Ernesto Palomba INAF, Rome, Italy

Radio Science

Paolo Tortora Univ. Bologna, Italy